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Show PITCHED BATTLE IS DUE AT THE LEAGUE MEETING The storm clouds are hanging over the Butte baseball headquarters and the battle flags are being unfurled. The magnates of the Pacific National league will meet at the Thornton hotel Saturday Satur-day night and a pitched battle Is scheduled. sched-uled. 'For the first time In the history of the league there are two distinct factions fac-tions In the league. Lucas and his bosom friend. McCloskey, are out to put the league out of business and grab everything in sight for themselves. Lucas Lu-cas without any warrant whatever, announced an-nounced publicly and to the National Commission of Minor League clubs that the Pacific National was dead, Boise having withdrawn. This Is absolutely abso-lutely not the casev Even if. Boise did riot Intend to put a team In the field, this year the league could not be disbanded dis-banded until a vote of the league clubs had been taken on the subject. The scheme which Lucas' and -McCloskey are working is to organise a new league which they would absolutely control, freesing Boise out and forcing Williams out of the Spokane management It means that all the Pacific National league contracts would be canceled and that Lucas and McCloskey would be able to grab any player now under contract con-tract without paying a cent for them. Boise and-Wflliams of Spokane are fighting the Lucas combination tooth and nail and although Salt Lake has so far been neutral It was Indicated very strongly by H. O. Shepard before bis departure for Butte that Salt Lake would be against Lucas. If Salt Lake does take this stand Lucas will without with-out doubt be retired ta the brush leagues in Washington and British Co-v lumbia, where he belongs. However, even this league does not want him, having turned him down earlier in the year when he attempted to organise a league. - Unless Lucas Is victorious the matter mat-ter of the disbandment of the Pacific . National under false representations will be laid bejfore President Farrell of the National association and matters will doubtless return to their former standing. Boise and Spokane will fight Lucas to the last ditch and the Spokane papers are not backward In declaring themselves in no uncertain terms against Lucas. They openly charge Lucas with double dealing and there Is small doubt that the Salt Lake representatives repre-sentatives will join with Boise and Spokane. If the Salt Lake fans want any more of the Lucas "protection" let them remember re-member the kind of a deal we got last season in the Fred Weed case and a number of other instances. Ogden is anxious to have Wilmot handle its team In the league this year and Walter will probably transfer his players to the Junction City. |